Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, blah blah blah. You people sure like to rub this fact into the faces of us authors, don't you? -___-'
Yugi: (is bouncing around the room with a machine gun in hand) Yeah!! An update! Chapter seven on the way, muahahahhahaha!!!
Bakura: oO' (is hiding behind a couch) Could someone take that damn weapon AWAY from the sugar crazed, half-pint hikari!!
AnimeFan: Do I look like a professional here?!
Yugi: HEY! I'm no half-pint and I ain't given up this gun! M16's are my favorite. ^-^
Seto: (is being led away by Yami) Yami? Are you sure this way is safe? I really don't want my head getting blasted off by Yugi.
Yami: Suurrrreee, Seto-kun. This way is very safe.
(Joey looks at the mischievous smile on Yami and glares suspiciously)
Seto: Oh...ok! ^____^
Yami: (snickers) Yep, I'll take good care of you my sweet brunette...
AnimeFan: Well, while Yugi's running around and armed we'll just pull down the chapter and get going here. ^^' Pre-warning - this has OCCness (duh!) Oh, and sorry for not updating for like forever, but after we got my dad's computer working I started typing this...and got stuck. I just couldn't figure out how to get this chapter out the way I wanted it to. Then to top it all off someone spilt something onto our keyboard so I was separated from the computer, the typing program, and the internet for a week! (cries softly) I'm still not sure this will turn out right. So please don't kill me or anything. ^___^
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Not A Moment To Soon
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Fear, Confusion, Truth
That morning came as gloomy and cold as it could get, the promise of a dull rain hovering in the air as people rushed about to their work or school. Somehow this morning brought a cold dread to Serenity, who remained in her bed beneath blankets, face wet with solemn tears for her brother's latest actions. Why? Why was her nii-san acting this way? She had been scared shit-less when Yugi's coffee table had come flying out the window the other night, glass shattering everywhere on the pavement road. Then Joey driving home in dead silence, followed by locking himself in his room without once saying a word or giving her a reassuring smile. Then those calls from Yami and the others, they sounded upset. Wanting to talk to him, even a few sounded like they were crying. This all seemed very wrong to her, and it scared her beyond all else.
"Well...I can't sit here all morning. Joey may be upset but I know no force on this earth could overpower his need to eat when he's hungry," She assured herself.
Yeah, that's right! Joey would come out of his room at the smell of breakfast, and maybe after some sleep with a good meal he'd be ready to talk to her. So, smiling as her spirit soared, Serenity finally rose from her bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Before she knew it, pancakes where sizzling in the pan and she was humming an old tune she had heard in the car once. After a while when Joey didn't come out she began to grow worried.
So she started to sing the tune instead, "And not a moment to soon. Not a minute to spare. You're sweet love saved me, when I didn't have a prayer. In my darkest hour, in my world filled with gloom. You're sweet love saved me, and not a moment to soon..."
Finishing the last pancake, she stacked six onto a plate and placed some butter on top. After coating the meal with maple syrup she took the plate and went to set it down on the table for her nii-san. Only then did she notice the note on the refrigerator door. As a sinking feeling filled the pit of her stomach, she took it down and read the neat writing carefully. The plate of food fell from her hand, shattering when it collided with the floor and sending pancakes, syrup, and glass everywhere. Shaking near tears, she read over it two more times not wanting to believe what it said. No, her brother wouldn't. This was just some kind of joke to get her to quit knocking on his door. Right? Before she realized it, she was walking quickly towards her brother's room. She knocked a bit and called for her brother, but he didn't answer. Serenity reached for the doorknob and, to her increasing panic, it turned easily.
Inside his room, Serenity saw with dread that her brother was no where to be found. Turning from where she stood, she raced over to the phone and dialed the first number that came to her mind.
A few rings and then, "Yeah, hello?"
"Tristan!"
"Serenity?! What's wrong? You sound like your crying..."
"Oh Tristan, he's gone...he's really gone! He's not in his room, he's not anywhere!" She cried out, beginning to sob as thoughts of what danger Joey could be in shook her terribly.
"S-Serenity! Calm down, I'm coming over ok? Just calm down, I'm sure every thing's all right."
"No, Tristan. Every thing's not all right," Serenity whispered as her eyes came to rest on a dusty box half-shoved into Joey's closet. "Tristan...Joey's gone to the Slums."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Poor Serenity, but a cute scene between her and Triston)~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on Seto...I know you were hurt, though I don't know why or by whom, but things are going to be ok. You can tell me everything and I'll help you recover. Trust me, anything is better then staying in this place."
"Joey..."
"No. I'm not leaving here without you. We've spent the last months since your disappearance searching for you, and now that I've finally found you I'm not gonna just turn and leave!"
"Did you really mean that?"
"S-sex toy! Seto ain't your damn sex toy, you fart mouthed pimp!"
"Why'd you say that? Why did you care? You never cared about what other's have called me before."
"Go home Joey. This isn't your world...you don't belong here."
"..." Seto frowned slightly, staring at the wall as he lay on his side in his master's bed. Said bastard was snoring behind him, happily content with his perverse life and disgusting wealth. The fan above the bed rattled quietly as it slowly rotated, the small bared windows letting in the light of the gloomy morning. With a deep sigh, the brunette rose from the bed and went into the bathroom to shower and dress. Life in the day here at the Slums was always slower then the night, a time normally used for sleep or crime.
He knew he should be asleep, to rest for tonight when he would dance for the enjoyment of the man and his friends to whom he was claimed by. But he couldn't sleep somehow, his mind...kept reliving last night. He kept seeing Joey in his mind, couldn't seem to forget how the blonde had squeezed his hand almost affectionately. How he smiled at him like he cared for the other's well being. Seto didn't understand this feeling inside, or why he couldn't get the other out of his mind. Why had Joey bothered looking for him? Didn't Joey hate his guts? Why was he even referring to him as Joey? Since when was the puppy dog Wheeler a Joey to him?
Seto walked out of the room, down the stairs, and into the dance room of the Hell's Night Club. Besides a janitor who was going about sweeping up, the place was empty of life. He walked slowly towards the bar, head down and arms hugging his body as if he was cold. He wasn't cold however, just confused...very confused. He didn't know what he was feeling, he had long ago forced himself to forget feeling. All he knew was that at one time in his life he had felt this way, and all that had brought him was the pain that had damned his life to the slums.
"You were wrong you know. It's you who doesn't belong in my world."
~~~~~~~(This means the scene is changing to another person if you don't know that)~~~~~~~
Letting out a bored sigh, Joey continued to crouch behind the dumpster outside of Hell's Night Club. To most people it would seem that he was just another poor street guy with no home to go to and only an alleyway next to a dumpster to sleep in. That's what Wheeler wanted and the torn blanket wrapped around him added to the effect. He was waiting. What for, only he knew but it was in the dreads of early morning when his patience awarded him. A dusty janitor looking like life was treating him harsh walked up the alley and stopped, unlocking the door to the club and entering.
Bolting from where he was crouched in wait, Joey dived for the door and painfully managing to stop it from closing with his arm. Wincing slightly he pulled himself to his feet and snuck through the door into the club with the silence of a skilled assassin. Once inside he followed the janitor to the broom closet, sneaking up behind the man. He really hated to complicate the guys life, but he was on a very important rescue mission. Taking out his gun he hit the man over the head with the blunt end of it, successfully knocking the guy unconscious. Then he dragged the rest of the old fool into the closet and frowned down at him. The things I'll do for love...
Ten minutes later...
The janitor stepped casually out of the closet with a long-pole broom and drew the hat down to conceal his face from anyone that might walk in and recognize him. If anyone did, they'd know that wasn't the janitor but Joey 'cleverly' disguised. He started walking about, appearing to be cleaning up the bottles and...ew...condoms...while getting his bearings. Stupid, fart-ass old bastard doesn't even have guards about in the day. Well, if there's a fight this will end up to my advantage and not his. With an all to pleased, sadistic smirk he continued his cleaning and mental assault on the fat bore.
After a while he heard footsteps and threw a sideways glance towards their source, his heart racing with excitement as the old feeling of danger made it's triumphant return to his system. But another more pleasant but uncomfortable feeling surfaced as he spotted the source. The tall brunnette who had haunted his nights and days had just walked out into the dance room, his arms wrapped around his body and his eyes cast to the floor. He was looking particulary sexy today, or maybe Joey's hormones were just aiming for world domination of his common sense.
Continuing to watch his secret love without care of being seen, he mentally fought with himself to save his common sense from his Malik-Ishtar gone hormones and get his bearings. Ok, Mission Save-my-angel-then-get-him-home-and-ravish-him-senseless is in place. Geez, why the hell did I name the mission that? I'm such an idiot. Anyway, first step...sneak into club. Check. Second step...make contact with Seto. Right... Mentally kicking himself for being an idiot, Joey casually inched closer to the brunette while remaining passive and busy-looking.
Finally when he was right behind the other, Joey cleared his throat and spoke, "You were wrong you know. It's you who doesn't belong in my world."
Joey grinned as Seto jumped slightly with a squeak before whirling around to face him, the blonde's desired effect. Seto gawked at him for a second before recognition flashed once again in his eyes.
"Joe-Wheeler!! What the fuck are you doing here?! How'd you get in and why...are you dressed like a janitor?"
Joey swore as his face flushed, "Err...I snuck in, stole the janitor's clothes, and I'm here for you."
Seto glared at him before adverting his gaze to the ground, "I...already told you. I'm not going back."
"I don't plan to take you back," Joey answered cooly.
Seto sent a curious glance up to him before finding a very interesting looking gum wrapper on the floor not far away. Joey sighed and leaned closer, causing the brunette to back up against the bar table with a embarrassed grimace. Don't do that, don't back away from me love. Joey pulled back with a saddened smile on his face, also spotting a piece of trash and pretending to look depressed at having failed to thoroughly clean the place.
"What did you mean just then? About me not belonging in...your world?" Seto barely whispered, having relaxed a bit at the other's submissive action.
Joey glanced towards him, then away. What should he say? He couldn't really hide the truth from Seto anymore. But would the brunette turn away from him in shame? Would he laugh at him or run back to that bastard? Would he hate him?
"It all kinda starts when I was a kid. About ten years ago, no much earlier then that..."
Seto looked to him expectantly and he took a seat next to his love, keeping his eyes on the ground in order to avoid the thing known as eye contact.
"I was a, well, I am a child prodigy. A genius...like you. I didn't have a lot of friends though, I was pretty much a bully magnet and the school's lead geek. But that was ok with me, cause I had my mom, dad, and sister to love and play with me. Then things at home started turning bad. Mom and Dad starting fighting and stuff, then the next thing I knew Mom demanded a divorce. She took Serenity, and me with know one but my old man. Not to downgrade him, but with his alcohol problem life pretty much sucked."
"My mother and sister's disappearance took a big toll on me. With my dad always smacking me around when he was drunk and the abuse from the kids at school, I just couldn't handle it anymore. I wanted to escape...to go somewhere where know one would know me or care. Where I couldn't be found so Mom would feel terrible for leaving me. I ran away, and found myself in a flea infested place known only as...the Slums..."
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Bakura: What! That's it?
Seto: What about the rest of Joey's story?
Yami: (Is annoyed because Joey caught onto his little scheme and relieved him of the brunette) Great, I was hoping for some Wheeler angst...
Joey: (Smiles triumphantly while cradling his Seto in his lap) And what about some Joey/Seto stuff!
AnimeFan: Quit complaining you lot! That's what the next chapter is for, Joey's past is revealed! Some Wheeler angst and the truth behind Serenity's biggest fears revealed. As for your Q, Joey, I'm making this a believable relationship!
Joey: Pht, believable. Right. Er...what's that mean?
Bakura: It means she's not gonna have you kick ass then drag Seto home and suddenly Seto realizes he's in love with you and the two of you frolic happily to the room, make like rabbits, and practice limited multiplication!
Joey: Really? You mean I have to wait for Seto to develop his feelings! Kuso! .
AnimeFan: Yep! Good boy, Bakura, here's a nice and shiny doom's day device for you!
Bakura: (eyes gleam malevolently at the device and he flashes her a rare smile) Thank you! ^_^
Yami: Great, now my hikari is running around with a M16 and Bakura has a d-day device... (grumbles unhappily)
Seto: Where is Yugi-chan by the way?
(Everyone shrugs and glances around nervously. You gotta know something bad is about to happen when a sugar crazed, half-pint, gun toting midget is about without adult supervision.)
Sephiroth: I was wondering...how can Seto and Joey practice multiplication like rabbits when they're both guys?
Bakura: I said limited multiplication! Note the word, LIMITED!
AnimeFan: Sephiroth! What are you doing in a Yugioh story instead of an FF7 story?
Sephiroth: I don't know, I saw this sugar crazed, half pint little midget running around with a M16 and assumed he'd lead me to where my koi, Cloud, was taken.
Bakura: Actually, Yugi won't take you because he doesn't know...but I think I saw some fangirl's runnin that-a-way (points to a door backstage with a sign that says Pokemon Fanfiction hanging above it.) with a spiky blonde that has a big sword strapped to his back dangling in their maddened grasp.
Sephiroth: Really? Thanks, I'd better get going. (Opens the door and screams bloody murder before closing it) WHAT THE FUCK WERE THOSE THINGS!!!
Yami: Were they round, pink, big eyed, and extremely cutesy?
Sephiroth: Y-yes!! One had a microphone to!
Seto: Oh, those would be Jigglypuff. Just run right past them and cover your ears.
AnimeFan: And whatever you do, don't listen to them singing!!!
Sephiroth: O_O What the hell are our Japanese father's spouting out of their minds! Jigglypuff? Oh gods...well...damn. The thing I do for love and hot passionate sex. (Takes a deep breath, covers ears, and runs into the pokemon fanfiction room.)
AnimeFan: Err, well. Read and Review!! ^___^'